I’ve felt physically pretty good this weekend…

A few days ago, I was informed on the recurrence of cancer and the 30% kinda shocked me… I had no idea that the recurrence of cancer in another form would be that high. To me, that is a staggering number… It does mean that there is a 70% chance that the cancer will not come back…. I’ve mentioned my diet and it appears that an alkaline diet DURING chemo is actually really helpful in the chemo phase…. so to anyone who is battling… not only for recurrence but also for aiding your chemo… it seems to be really helpful… Here’s a helpful link…. http://www.nutriclue.com/2013/06/chemotherapy-and-alkaline-diet.html

I’ve been doing some research, which I know can not always be good… but I’ve noticed that my tumor feels a bit firmer these past couple of days and maybe even seems a bit larger? Last week it felt a bit smaller and softer…. but my cancer is hormone fed and it does not appear that my reproductive system is shutting down like it should…. which means my cancer is being continually fed. I will have a scan mid way… which is after my 3rd treatment which is coming up shortly…. so we’ll find out how the cancer is responding to chemo. . . The other thing is my lymph nodes throb a lot… which worries me a bit, since there is lymph node involvement and we know this…. it can easily spread. I researched cancer spreading on chemo…. Because there are 3 weeks between treatments…. cancer can actually grow during chemo… I did not know this, either…. Cancer is very smart…

Stress has known to be a huge contributor to cancer… so it’s VERY important that I try to have no stress in my life, if at all possible….. I’m trying very hard to maintain as little stress as possible…. I found this excerpt from an article… Evidence from experimental studies does suggest that psychological stress can affect a tumor’s ability to grow and spread. For example, some studies have shown that when mice bearing human tumors were kept confined or isolated from other mice—conditions that increase stress—their tumors were more likely to grow and spread (metastasize). In one set of experiments, tumors transplanted into the mammary fat pads of mice had much higher rates of spread to the lungs and lymph nodes if the mice were chronically stressed than if the mice were not stressed. Studies in mice and in human cancer cells grown in the laboratory have found that the stress hormone norepinephrine, part of the body’s fight-or-flight response system, may promote angiogenesis and metastasis.

Right now my stage is between a 2B and a 3A… we won’t know for sure my exact stage until they perform my surgery and see how many lymph nodes and surrounding tissue/size of the tumor, etc…. are affected… I found these links that really explain staging well….. http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-cancer-stage-2 & http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-cancer-stage-3

I’ve been thinking about things that I can look forward to when this is all over…

1. Food tasting normal again

2. Having energy

3. My coffee tasting normal, this has made me so incredibly sad

4. My hair coming back .. the color/texture may be different

5. Going to the beach

6. Stressing less and living more

7. My reconstruction… <crossing my fingers it will take>

8. Spending more time with people that mean everything to me

9. Maintaining a fit lifestyle

10. Being cancer free

Today is the Panther’s game…. and in support of the Carolina Panthers…. Keep Pounding Boys!!!! Hope all my fellow Charlotte peeps have a great day of the 3 F’s…. Family, Friends & Football! #KeepPounding